How to clean a plastic pallet?

[ErikB]

Anyone have one of those GW plastic pallets? 

Anyone know how to get lots of dried acrylic paint off of it? 

Steel wool?  Simple Green?

Or toss it and use disposable margarine lids....   

[Big Sexy]

I have a plastic pallet but not GW.  Usually just peeled up in one piece.  Sometimes had to lift an edge with something.  May depend on brand of paint to.

[Centaur_Seducer]

Like Big Sexy wrote, its all about the brand. VGC you just peel away and all goes away, VMC is a bit tougher.
I usually put them in hot water with some simple green and let them lie there for half an hour. Then the colour is usually off the pallet, or at least mushy enought to rince away with water.
But, I buy pallets for .20 euros each, so I usually throw them away after two weeks (to the unjoy of the echo-friendly misses).

[rob_alderman]

I'd use a kitchen degreaser to make the paint flexible and then hot water under the tap.

Alternatively, never waste your money of such nonsense again and get a good old ceramic tile!!! 

[Silent Invader]

Or use the clear plastic lids from tubes of Pringles.  Yum!   

[Aaron]

I have the GW one and hot water does the job. As Rob mentions, ceramic tile also works very well. I've got a few left over from remodelling the bathroom. If you are a butterfingers like me it's only a matter of time before yuou drop one on a WIP though! 

[Calimero]

I scrape it with a piece of wood Popsicles stick then peel it of.

[Gluteus Maximus]

I've got a similar (much cheaper) pallette from an art shop. I have a very thin screwdriver which slides under the paint build-up and just pops most of it off.

I tried a ceramic tile, but knocked it off my table once and it landed edge down on my foot 

[Ramshackle_Curtis]

Yeah, I use lids from food container, or even the whole container!

[zbyshko]

i usually wait to clean until i'm doing dishes (yes, i do the dishes!  ).  i use s hot a temperature as i can stand for the dishes.  when i start, i throw the plastic pallet in the bottom to soak while i scour the plates, pots and pans.  the last thing i clean is the pallet.  most of the paint has soaked enough water and grabbed the heat to peal sheer off.  them i scrub with the plastic brush - no brillo/steel wool to scratch the heated plastic!  rinse with the tap water and place in the drain to dry.

so i can announce 'Honey the dishes are done!' and 'Oh, i cleaned up my work area as well.'  she doesn't need to know it was all the same task.

[warrenpeace]

The big globs of acrylic paint come off my cheap plastic pallet very easilly when I push on the dried globs with a wooden toothpick (which I also use to stir the paint).  I don't feel the need to get every little fleck of acrylic paint off the pallet, so I don't bother washing and scrubbing the thing.

[Gluteus Maximus]

i usually wait to clean until i'm doing dishes (yes, i do the dishes!  ).  i use s hot a temperature as i can stand for the dishes.  when i start, i throw the plastic pallet in the bottom to soak while i scour the plates, pots and pans.  the last thing i clean is the pallet.  most of the paint has soaked enough water and grabbed the heat to peal sheer off.  them i scrub with the plastic brush - no brillo/steel wool to scratch the heated plastic!  rinse with the tap water and place in the drain to dry.

so i can announce 'Honey the dishes are done!' and 'Oh, i cleaned up my work area as well.'  she doesn't need to know it was all the same task.

Who said blokes can't multi-task? 

[Orctrader]

I use a home-made wet palette for most things but if I need a "normal" palette then...plastic milk bottle tops.  Use once and discard.

[Delaney]

Try brushing on a layer of cheap matte medium from an art store before you use the palette.  This will then help you peel off the paint.  Usually where you thin the paints is the hardest part to scrub, but with a clear rubbery medium layer its much easier.

I gave up on plastic palettes and now use mainly tupperware wet palettes and throw away ice cube trays.

[BigLee]

I usually soak my pallette overnight in hot water and washing up liquid. This lifts or loosens most of the paint and then its just a matter of peeling it off. I wouldn't scrape the surface with anything abrasive. Any scratches mean the next lot of paint will be almost impossible to remove.